Still Life

Although best known as a landscape painter, Maurice de Vlaminck was occupied with still life painting during 1905 and 1906. The colors in this painting are bright and uninhibited, the contrasting reds and greens infusing ordinary subject matter with vivacity. At the time he painted this work, Vlaminck was a member of the Fauve circle, which centered around Henri Matisse. The paintings of the Fauves exude an aura of youthfulness through their high-keyed primary colors and simplification of form; indeed, the Fauves were inspired by children’s art and folk art.